Paper-clip fastener



1957 R. s. MILLER 3,34

PAPER-CLIP FASTENER Filed March 5. 1966 4 FIG. 3.

FIG. 6.

INVENTOR Ruth 8. Miller ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,348,271 PAPER-CLIP FASTENER Ruth S. Miller, 3945 Connecticut Ave., Washington, 'D.C. 20008 Filed Mar. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 531,608 Claims. (Cl. 24-66) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paper-clip with means to attachor hold a small card at its upper end so that the paper-clip may serve as a display device, and means permitting the paper-clip to stand on its own legs.

This invention relates to a new and improved paperclip. More particularly, it relatesto a paper-clip which can be used to fasten or hold papers together atflone end, the lower end, and to attach and hold a small. card,

such as a name card, a small piece of paper containing Another purpose of this invention is to convert such types of paper-clips into a display device by providing two legs in back and having the lower part of the main body of the clip serve as a leg in front, thus providing the three legs of an easel. Small cards, small messages, tags, ribbons, flowers, or any such objects can be displayed on the resulting easel.

Any of the commercially available sizes of paper-clips are suitable for the present invention. A small one which measures approximately 1%" from top to the bottom of the U-shaped portion and a large one which measures approximately 2%" from top to the bottom of the U- shaped portion have been found to be particularly useful as bases for the hereinafter described improvement.

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment;

FIGURE 2 is a view taken on plane 1-1 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view showing a modification of the paper-clip of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view showing a second modification of the paper-clip shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a view of the paper-clip of FIGURE 4 as seen from one side; and

FIGURE 6 is a modification of the clip shown in FIG- URES 4 and 5.

The paper clip 10 shown in FIGURE 1 is formed from a single length of wire, bent to form a T shaped fastener having a first loop 12 and a second loop 14 extending at right angles to the first loop. Loop 14 is defined by two closely adjacent U shaped portions. The outermost U shaped portion consists of a straight portion 20 which is connected by a curved portion 24 to a second straight portion 22. Nested within this U shaped member is a second, smaller U shaped portion consisting of a straight leg 30 lying parallel to and along portion 20, and a straight leg 32 lying parallel to and along portion 22. A curved stretch 34 connects legs 30 and 32 and completes the base of the T. This portion of 3,348,271 Patented Oct. 24, 1967 the fastener is identical with the ordinary Gem Clip referred to above.

The crosspiece of the T consists of a flattened loop 12 made of wire and connecting leg 30 with leg 22 as shown. An extension of leg 30 is bent to form a curve 40, then a straight section 42 and a curved end 44, then a straight top piece 46.and a second .curved end 48 andfinally a short straight piece 50 joined to leg 22.

In one suitable fastener of the type described, loop 12 is about 1.15 x 0.25 inches and loop 14.is about --1.5 x 0.25 inches. On straight section 46 of this fastener,

it is possible to attach or loop or otherwise secure by means of an adhesive or a wire staple a paper or cloth, ribbon or strip 16 or other objects which are small enough to be attached to and supported by' the fastener, e.g. as shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 3 shows the same clip as in FIGURE 1 but With the inside prong or leg 32 of the clip extending upward toward the center of loop 12. The prong or leg is shaped in a semi-circle 36 facing toward loop 14 and terminating in an end 38. This configuration is to permit the insertion of a small name card, file index tab, etc. This type of paper-clip holder or fastener can be used on a file folder in an oflice or on any object to which a paper-clip can be attached.

FIGURES 4 and 5 show a modification of the clip of FIGURE 1 in Which-the clip has prongs 20- and 32 bent downward and then backward in order to form legs 26 and 28 respectively, the prongs in this modification being somewhat longer than in the clip of, FIG- URE 1. The two legs can be bent outlof the plane of clip 10 so as to form an easel. The lower. front U shaped portion 24 of the clip comprises the third leg of the easel. The overall length of this clip should be approximately 2% from the top to bottom.

To provide a device to hold a small card on which can be written a name, or a small piece of paper on which can be written a message, a thin piece of wire 60 similar to that which is used in the present Gem paperclip is used. Each end 62 of the wire 60 is Wound once around the cross bar 46 and then crossed over one another at 64 as shown in FIGURE 4. The intermediate portion 64 of wire 60 extending between the ends which have been looped over cross bar 46 is then carried upward and wound around itself in a corkscrew fashion. The X, or cross piece, which is formed by ends 62 may be used to support a small card on which can be written a name, short message, or other subject matter, and the card may be inserted between the prongs. These prongs should not have their ends cut off sharp or straight, as they are in regular paper-clips, but should be rounded, tapered or flattened for easier insertion of a piece of paper or thin piece of cardboard. Also for easier insertion of a small card or piece of paper, the length of one of the two wires 62 which form this X or crosspiece should be shorter than the other. Preferably this wire should be the one extending to the left, the first wire. In order to keep this crosspiece from sliding along the transverse bar, one of the points where the wires are bent over the transverse bar can be spot welded or otherwise secured thereto. The upstanding corkscrew constitutes'a spindle 66 on which a tag or card may be impaled for display of information.

A similar modification may be made for the paperclips of FIGURES 1 and 2 by forming wire '60 around the crossbar 46 of these embodiments.

The easel type paper-clip holder shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 can be used for a variety of purposes: on ofiice desks to which can be attached messages, name cards, etc.; on speakers tables, on dinner tables at parties. When the easel paper-clip holder is to be used at parties 3 it could be painted or be made from colored metal, in such colors as pink and blue for childrens parties; red

ordark blue for patriotic o ccasions; walnut brown for ofiice desks; and gold (gilt) for other special occasions. The usual silver metal color would be suitable for ordinary use.

FIGURE 6 is the same paper-clip holder or fastener as that shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 except that the legs 26, 28 instead of being extended to form an easel are bent so as to lie much closer to the body of the clip. Although the resulting clip could be used to fasten a bunch of papers together by means of leg 20, 22, 24 and leg 30, 3,2 34, the bent legs can be used to attach the clip to much larger objects, such as a narrow ledge or board or ledge such as on a lectern used by public speakers; that is, some protuberance measuring /2" to 1" wide. In this embodiment, as in that of FIGURES 4 and 5, the legs 20 and 32 are considerably longer than in the clips shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

I claim:

1. A paper-clip formed from a single length of wire bent to form a T shaped fastener having a first elongated flattened open loop and a second elongated flattened open loop extending at right angles to said first loop; said first loop consisting of a pair of U shaped portions, the first of said U shaped portions comprising two vertically extending straight legs, namely, a first straight leg having a free, unconnected upper end and a second straight leg parallel to said first straight leg, and a curved portion connecting the lowermost extremities of said first and second straight legs; the second of said U shaped portions comprising a third straight leg having one free end and disposed along the inner side of said second straight leg, a curved extension of said third straight leg disposed along the said curved portion and a fourth straight leg disposed along the inner side of said second straight leg, so that the smaller second U shaped portion is nested within the confines of the larger first U shaped portion; said second loop consisting of an uppermost horizontal bar extending across and goiistittlting the upper flattened side of said loop, a curved portion of said wire extending in the form of a semicircle joining each of the two ends of said uppermost horizontal bar to a shorter lowermost horizontal straight piece of said wire, the first of said shorter horizontal pieces of wire being connected to said fourth straight leg and the other of said shorter horizontal bars being connected to said second straight leg.

2. The clip of claim 1 in which the upper free end of said third straight leg constituting one side of said second smaller U shaped portion is provided with a semicircular extension, extending into the space between said two shorter horizontal bars.

3. The clip of claim 1 wherein all of the straight and curved portions of said clip lie in a single plane.

4. The clip of claim 1 wherein each of the downwardly extending free straight legs is provided with an extension and is bent back upon itself out of the plane of the clip, said extensions and the bottom of said lowermost loop constituting a tripod for permitting the clip to stand erect.

5; The clip of claim 1 including in addition a second wire twisted about said uppermost horizontal bar, defining a further means for gripping a flat object.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,452,514 10/ 1948 Zychlinski 24-261 3,308,784 3/1967 Miller 24261 X 557,872 4/ 1896 Pelster. 1,259,849 3/ 1918 Goldstein 24-261 1,488,383 3/1924 Crow 24-261 2,957,218 10/ 1960 Sponsel 24-261 X 3,123,924 3/1964 Roberts 40-23 X FOREIGN PATENTS 506,467 5/ 1939 Great Britain.

QQNALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Ext/unima- 

1. A PAPER-CLIP FORMED FROM A SINGLE LENGTH OF WIRE BENT TO FORM A T SHAPED FASTENER HAVING A FIRST ELONGATED FLATTENED OPEN LOOP AND A SECOND ELONGATED FLAT TENED OPEN LOOP EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID FIRST LOOP; SAID FIRST LOOP CONSISTING OF A PAIR OF U SHAPED PORTIONS, THE FIRST OF SAID U SHAPED PORTIONS COMPRISING TWO VERTICALLY EXTENDING STRAIGHT LEGS, NAMELY, A FIRST STRAIGHT LEG HAVING A FREE, UNCONNECTED UPPER END AND A SECOND STRAIGHT LEG PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST STRAIGHT LEG, AND A CURVED PORTION CONNECTING THE LOWERMOST EXTREMITIES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND STRAIGHT LEG; THE SECOND OF SAID U SHAPED PORTION COMPRISING A THIRD STRAGHT LEG HAVING ONE FREE END AND DISPOSED ALONG THE INNER SIDE OF SAID SECOND STRAIGHT LEG, A CURVED EXTENSION OF SAID THIRD STRAIGHT LEG DISPOSED ALONG THE SAID CURVED PORTION AND A FOURTH STRAIGHT LEG DISPOSED ALONG THE INNER SIDE OF SAID SECOND STRAIGHT LEG, SO THAT THE SMALLER SECOND U SHAPED PORTION IS NESTED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE LARGER FIRST U SHAPED PORTION; SAID SECOND LOOP CONSISTING OF AN UPPERMOST HORIZONTAL BAR EXTENDING ACROSS AND CONSTITUTING THE UPPER FLATTENED SIDE OF SAID LOOP, A CURVED PORTION OF SAID WIRE EXTENDING IN THE FORM OF A SEMICIRCLE JOINING EACH OF THE TWO ENDS OF SAID UPPERMOST HORIZONTAL BAR TO A SHORTER LOWERMOST HORIZONTAL STRAIGHT PIECE OF SAID WIRE, THE FIRST OF SAID SHORTER HORIZONTAL PIECES OF WIRE BEING CONNECTED TO SAID FOURTH STRAIGHT LEG AND THE OTHER OF SAID SHORTER HORIZONTAL BARS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND STRAIGHT LEG. 